Post #60: The Mirage

Brasília is a planned city shaped with two wings coming off of a central axis. Many say that it looks like an airplane. It was intended a city of the future and has many pieces of modernist architecture as well as wide, impressive avenues and a central mall with government buildings that extends from the tail to the nose of the plane.

It is also a city that was designed for cars. Crosswalks are often an after-thought, even in pedestrian zones, and they are located many times a large distance from the actual interchange. Brasília, you see, was designed with few to no traffic lights, so there are circles that regulate turns and the flow of traffic. This makes walking around tricky but there are a lot of worn foot-paths showing that human traffic will be governed by the shortest distance between two places rather than along long, paved routes.

Before I came to Brasília, I thought that distances would be pretty manageable on foot or by bicycle, but the map can be deceiving. Because of how the roads work (without left turns and without many traffic lights), you have to loop back and forth to arrive at any destination. Our home is 6-7 miles from work, depending on which route you take and, without any traffic, should take around 20-25 minutes. Sometimes, during the peak traffic hours, it takes around 40 minutes because there are a few choke points.

All to say that this is a city where a car is necessary to get to and from work, to visit your friends, to do your shopping, to do anything at all. Living in Brasília without a car is like living in Denver without a car. You just cannot quite do it.

So, we did buy a car to come here. Nothing special. A simple, small car with good gas mileage. Seemed smart at the time and we shipped it with our other goods to Brazil for our tour here the next three years.

Our car arrived last week. Apparently, a Mitsubishi Mirage has never been imported to Brazil before. The Department of Transport does not have a drop down menu for it. Hence, we are still waiting for license plates and have been told it will take a while. My initial jubilation that the car had arrived is now a bit muted and I continue taking Uber and the shuttle, ever the more discontent at my lack of independence and mobility. Grrr.... Seems that it all is a bit of a mirage.

(And, yes, I know, these are a bit of first-world, diplomat problems, but I wanted to share my lack of mobility anyway.)

Post #59: Shopping

So. Our stuff is here. Our stuff is actually everywhere. In putting things away, we started to compile a shopping list of kind of regular-type things needed for settling in. You know, nails, a picture frame, hooks, a stepladder, plant trays, a candle lighter. Trivial things that should be easy to find. Should be. Optimistically, we caught an uber (the car is still another story) and headed to the Big Box shopping area not too far away. Carrefour and Leroy Merlin awaited. We trudged through the stores looking up and down aisle after aisle after aisle. We did not find anything we wanted. And many of the small shelves we looked at to support one of our living room speakers cost over $100 for press board-type furniture that we can buy at home for $15. The loudspeakers were blaring with special offers. Families with strollers were crowding the aisles. Nothing was quite as we imagined and yet we kept searching... to only come home with a few items, completely defeated by the exhausting shopping experience. Phew! From now on, it's online shopping for me.

Posts #55-58: To the Interior

This week I had the chance to visit the interior of the state of São Paulo for some programming. It is an agricultural center for the country with farms, coffee, sugarcane, and famous for leather work. I did not have much time for shopping but I did meet with some fantastic students, teachers, and partners -- getting out and getting to know the local environment is one of the best parts of my job.

With teachers in Franca

Access Program Franca

Post #54: And our stuff finally all came

Moving is supposed to rank right up there with serious life stressors like divorce and taxes. Today, our household goods arrived from the shipping container like a tornado. In two hours flat the movers entered with boxes, divulged their contents, and departed. We were left with piles of hapless hangers, staplers, and spatulas to try and piece together a home. It feels good to be reunited and yet horrifying when you realize how much junk you haul around... and now for the mildly less stressful organizing part!

Post #53: Recoleta

We ended our week in Argentina with a cemetery stroll in the Recoleta to admire ancient tombs of the famous and elite of historical Buenos Aires. A pretty (and kind of haunting) finish.

Post #52: And there was wine?

So, Argentina has some really fine wine. And it is not only tasty and affordable but also everywhere. We tried many delicious bottles for under $10 and could not resist but to bring some back with us to Brazil... this may just inspire a future Southern Cone wine trip.

Post #51: The Colorful Corno at Teatro Colon

One of the best opera houses in the world, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires is a site not to be missed. A premiere of a horn concerto and local star player together with the Buenos Aires philharmonic in such a setting is an experience. I enjoyed soaking up each and every note. And, apparently, we were not alone as there was standing room only in the balcony seats behind us -- young students and locals there to catch the show.

Post #50: Work?

So, I am in Buenos Aires not for the wine, long walks, or tango but rather for a conference of Binational Centers from across all of Latin America, including many from Brazil. It was really useful to meet everyone at once and have such an excuse to travel and enjoy the city (yes, I did attend the conference and even presented and participated in a panel!). 

Maybe you cannot see it but this is the first conference ribbon I've ever had that says "tango dancer" (I signed up for a social lesson one evening)

Opening event included tango, of course!

Presenting! :-)

The delegation from Brazil

Post #49: Going to the Dogs

Ferocious Argentinian Guard Dogs

Post #48: Vivid

Color explodes right onto the streets in San Telmo and La Boca. We walked there (of course) from another corner of the city and saw so much life on the streets. People with dogs everywhere. Children out playing on the streets. Hundreds of football fans streaming from the stadium. And brightly colored houses haphazardly stacked together in this neighborhood of immigrants that now is quite the tourist destination. Buenos Aires has quite the Bohemian feel to it. I am completely in love with its brightness.